The Throne of Fear: The Romano's Read online

  In fact, how much money does he have because everything about the Black Heart screams luxury? From the furnishings and interior to the sleek lines of a super yacht.

  I take way too long getting ready because everything demands my attention. The clothes, the make-up, the shoes and accessories. All deserve to be admired and appreciated because somebody has put a lot of thought into selecting these items. Was it him, Romeo? Did he select these personally, or was it detailed to a servant?

  Deciding on a simple yellow sundress, I tie my hair back in a band and slide my feet into some matching espadrilles. Grabbing some large shades from the many on offer, I venture out of my cabin, a little uncertain as to what the day will bring.

  The boat is rocking gently and as I make my way on deck; I feel nervous. What will I find?

  The sunlight hits me as I step outside and I quickly cover my eyes with the shade. The sun is high, telling me I’ve slept too long and the warm rays heat my skin. But that is nothing to the heat that tears through my body as I see what’s waiting. Sitting at a table, leaning back and watching me approach is the man himself. Gone is the sexy black suit and in its place is a white t-shirt that clings to an impressive body with black shorts that reveal strong toned legs. His eyes are covered in black shade and his hair is a little windswept but begging for my fingers to comb it back in place. Romeo Romano affects me more than anyone ever has. Back then when we were kids and now all these years later.

  He smiles as he sees me approach and pats the seat beside him.

  “Morning, Ivy.”

  He looks at his watch and grins, “Although only just, you must have needed the sleep.”

  “I did, thank you.”

  I sit beside him probably a little closer than I should, and I notice he tenses as my leg brushes against his. For some reason my body gravitates toward this man and I giggle to myself as I picture sitting on his lap rather than where I am now because strangely, I want that more than anything. I want to wrap my arms around him and hold on tight and never let go because he is my protector, my savior and if I could choose any one man, my lover.

  Out of nowhere, a uniformed man appears dressed in white shorts and a button down top and smiles brightly. “Are you ready for some brunch, Miss. Thompson?”

  My stomach growls and I laugh, a little embarrassed. “I think that’s your answer.”

  The man heads off and Romeo smiles. “It’s good to see a little happiness return to your face. I was worried about you.”

  “That’s nice.”

  “What is?”

  “That you were worried. I don’t think anyone is ever worried about me and my feelings. It’s a nice thing to hear.”

  I see his eyes narrow and he says in a low voice, “I’m a good listener.”

  “Maybe one day, but I don’t want to ruin the one day of freedom I have by talking of the past. I want to enjoy this time because I will need the memory to treasure when reality bites and I’m back home facing the future my parents have mapped out for me.”

  “Then don’t go.”

  “What!” I stare at him in shock and stutter, “I have to… I have no other choice.”

  I think I hold my breath as he removes the shade from his eyes and does the same to me. I blink in the sunlight as he stares deep into my eyes, and I see the storm swirling in his. They are dark and contain the blackest of memories, I can see that. It’s as if he is opening up his soul to me and allowing me access to the darkest part of his mind as he leans forward and I feel his breath graze my skin.

  “I will never let you go back all the time you fear it. If you want to go, beg me to go, then I won’t hesitate to return you. I will do anything that makes you happy, Ivy because I have spent many years following you, staying in the shadows and wishing things were different somehow.”

  My voice comes out shaky and unsure as I whisper, “But why, Romeo, why me?”

  He leans even closer and runs his finger down my face, his touch creating a delicious shiver to pass through me as he gently traces my lines. His eyes darken and I see the lust in them as he whispers huskily, “Because the last time I was happy, I was with you.”

  I can’t help myself and lean toward him with some kind of mad desperation to taste this man’s lips. I want to drown in his decadence and experience the madness because I have never wanted anyone as much as I want Romeo Romano.

  The cool breeze on deck does nothing to cool the sudden heat building as a moment that will change everything dances between us. Before I can change my mind, I lean forward until my lips touch his, slowly, softly with a brief hesitation and I feel my heart beating quickly to the beat of something new. As I make contact, he appears frozen and doesn’t move, and I feel I may have read this wrong. But I know this man. I know we were always meant to be sitting here, starting something that may end tragically, but even one kiss from Romeo would be worth a lifetime of pain.

  I press in further with a determination that goes against the person I am. I want him to want me. Just this once, in this moment, I want to forget who I am and become someone I want to be.

  I hear a low groan escape from somewhere deep inside him and he leans closer, and the pressure increases. My lips part and I let him in and as our tongues dance together entwined in passion, my body relaxes. His hand wraps around the back of my head and pulls me closer, deeper, as he invades my whole mind. He isn’t just inside my mouth, he’s inside my soul and I softly moan against his lips. Our kiss is the catalyst for change, and I’ve started a chain reaction that there is no going back from. I don’t want to leave this boat, this man. I’m safe with him, I’ve always known that and I will not walk away from something that I know in my heart was always meant to be.

  Chapter 13

  Romeo

  She came to me. When Ivy claimed my lips, she extracted my soul. She’s always had my heart, and now she has the whole of me. Tasting Ivy is like her name suggests. She has entwined herself through every part of me, gripping me tight and attaching herself to every part of my body. I can’t move without feeling her with me, and as I taste forbidden fruit, I become addicted. Ivy is my drug and will be the ruin, or the cure for my soul.

  My first taste of the woman I have adored for so long is the sweetest one. She tastes every bit as sweet as I knew she would. I never dared hope she would want me in the same way, after all, until yesterday she had forgotten me. That hurts because I never forgot one thing about her. She may have remembered the day, but not the name. Now she is here with me and it’s almost too much to process. The girl I have worshipped for so long is now a reality in my arms. Kissing Ivy is the impossible dream, and she needed to be the one to start something I never want to finish. I would never force myself on her, she means too much.

  I could kiss her all day but remember she needs to eat, so reluctantly I pull away and stroke her face gently. “I needed that.”

  She seems almost shy and smiles nervously. “I’m sorry, I don’t know what came over me.”

  The light dances in her eyes and she giggles, a sound that makes me smile. She is a breath of fresh air in a place that is usually choked by depression.

  The steward heads across with his arms laden with more food than we can surely eat, and I laugh as Ivy’s eyes widen and sparkle with hunger.

  “This is amazing, can we really eat all this?”

  “You could give it a good try.”

  As the steward sets it out on the table, we fall silent and just watch him. It’s not awkward though, nothing appears to be with this woman. It’s as if the years between don’t count, we are friends, companions - soul mates.

  We fill our plates and to anyone watching, must look like any normal couple enjoying a meal on the deck of their boat. But we aren’t a couple, no matter how much I wish we were. I have to keep on reminding myself that she may choose to leave at any moment and I will have to honor my promise, no matter how hard that will be.

  I can feel her watching me and lean back and take a moment to enjoy th
e fact she is here at all.

  She smiles self-consciously and I see a faint blush creep across her face as she clears her throat and says brightly, “So what do you normally do when you’re at sea?”

  “Enjoy the company usually.”

  “Oh.” She looks a little disappointed, and I hate that I put it there and reach out and grasp her hand, pulling her a little closer. “The thing is, Ivy, I’m a bit of a lost cause. I suppose I always have been. You wouldn’t like what I became, if you did you would beg me to turn this boat around and take you back because Drew will seem like an angel compared to me.”

  “I doubt that.” She smiles shyly and I feel the pain tearing at my heart as I think of the man I am. She would hate him and it’s something she needs to know if we are to move on and I say bitterly, “My life is nothing like yours. I’m a bastard and you would do well to remember that. All of this is the product of crime and a world so sinful you would never understand. I do what I have to survive and along with my brothers, we inherited a tainted chalice. You wouldn’t like me at all if you knew what I was capable of.”

  She appears fascinated and can’t stop staring into my eyes, which is a little unnerving. My words don’t seem to bother her and she just shrugs a little and reaches for a bread roll. “I don’t care, Romeo. I’m kind of guessing you don’t play by the rules, the fact I’m here demonstrates that. It doesn’t matter to me because in my mind you can do no wrong. You saved me when I prayed for a miracle, so that’s what you are, my miracle.”

  I make to speak and she quickly presses her lips to mine to silence my words. My heart thumps wildly as she runs her fingers through my hair and pulls me closer, this time very much in charge. She kisses me as if she needs me to survive and I don’t hold back. It’s too much. All these years I’ve dreamed of this and rather than fearing me, Ivy is turning the tables on me.

  All too soon, she pulls back and smiles with a wicked glint in her eye and says firmly, “I don’t want to hear it. Nothing will change my mind. Whatever you do, or have done in the past, doesn’t concern me. Let’s just enjoy the time we have because I want a memory of the day I was free.”

  She turns her attention back to her food, and it bothers me. There is something dark in Ivy’s life that she is keen to escape from, and I doubt that’s all down to Drew. Her engagement ring sparkles as the sun catches it and stirs the beast inside me. Clicking my fingers, one of my men comes forward and I lift her hand and without saying a word, slide the ring off her finger. She looks at me in shock and I hand it to my guard and say roughly, “Keep this safe, if Miss. Thompson wants it back when she leaves, it’s hers. If she never wants to see it again, make sure it’s returned to Drew Warner with the note, not required.”

  Her laughter settles my heart as she shakes her head in disbelief and grins. “Does it bother you that much?”

  “Yes.”

  I wink and carry on eating, suddenly discovering my appetite, and as we devour the rest of the meal in the warm sunshine, I can almost believe nothing can tear us apart. Out here, away from civilization, we can be who the hell we want to be with no consequences.

  Once we’ve eaten, I take Ivy on a tour of the super yacht and she seems so excited it makes me happy. Seeing her obvious delight in just about everything makes me love her even more. She has an enthusiasm for life that I love. Usually any women I bring on board are sultry and just want to seduce me. Not Ivy, she has an innocent air that surrounds her, almost playful and fun to be around. It’s as if she is living a thousand lives in the space of a few hours, which bothers me. She thinks she has no choice; she’s going back.

  We reach my cabin and I’m almost tempted to walk on by, but she says with interest, “What’s in here?”

  “It’s nothing, just my cabin, another bedroom, you don’t have to see it if you don’t want to.”

  She stops and her hand hovers over the handle and she grins. “What’s the matter, didn’t you make your bed this morning and are ashamed of your messy room?”

  Shaking her head, she says playfully, “Come on, I want to see what’s inside.”

  I follow her in feeling a little hesitant, which is alien to me. I’ve had women in here before, but no one I want to see again. In fact, I have always used woman to drive the image of her away because they weren’t the one I wanted. It was always her, Ivy Thompson. Now she’s here, I’m not sure what to do at all. I don’t want to scare her away, and yet I want her so much I can’t think straight.

  I hesitate in the door as she wanders around the room and takes it all in. The huge bed that dominates it dressed in black silk sheets. The soft white carpet that looks brand new and the sparkling crystal chandelier that hangs low above the bed. Mirrored furniture reflects the space, making it look bigger than it is, and the soft warm lighting creates an intimate vibe that is designed for seduction and relaxation.

  Watching Ivy in my world is a strange experience. It’s as if she’s always been here and, in my heart, she has. It looks as if she belongs here, with me, and I feel an ache in my heart at how I’ll feel when she leaves. In just a few hours we are due back. We are too far south for that, and I know Drew will be shitting himself when he realizes he is going to have some explaining to do.

  Ivy stops and sits on the edge of the bed, and I think I hold my breath. She looks up at me and her huge eyes brim with emotion as she says with a slight hesitation. “Please don’t send me back.”

  Chapter 14

  Ivy

  Romeo looks at me with a thousand questions reflecting in his eyes and I can’t deal with them right now, so I look down. The words slipped out before I could check them, and my heart thumps as I wait for him to tell me I have no choice. How can I go back to them, to him? It’s a painful thought because out here on the ocean, I feel free of my chains and it’s a powerful feeling.

  The bed dips as he sits beside me and I think I hold my breath, silently begging him to put me out of my misery one way or another.

  Then he laughs softly and says gruffly, “I don’t know if you know anything about boats or the sea, Ivy, but we couldn’t make it back now if we tried.”

  I look up and the wicked glint in his eye causes me to smile hopefully, “We can’t.”

  “No. We are too far South and it would take us the same time again to sail back. Even at full throttle we wouldn’t make it, so you see, Drew will have quite a lot of explaining to do. Maybe you should just enjoy the thought of that, or we could call them if you prefer.”

  “NO!” I shout and from the look in his eye he wants to know why, so I say quickly, “Please don’t ask me because I don’t want to ruin a perfect day. I trust you, Romeo and whatever you decide is fine by me but please consider helping me before returning me.”

  “What do you want, I mean, really want, Ivy?”

  His eyes flash and I see the power of the man inside. The thought of what he can do almost gives me hope that he can pull this off, but then again, why would I involve him in something he could sure do without, so I sigh and reaching out, grab his hand.

  “Please, let’s just have fun today and maybe I’ll tell you later. I’m not ready to talk - yet and just want to enjoy what little time I have with you. Please, just trust me, Romeo, I’m begging you.”

  The expression on his face causes my knees to shake and I feel lust tearing through my body. So dangerous, passionate and dark. It’s all there in this super-hot man who looks as if he could move a mountain to give me safe passage through. I need him to back off though, from hearing something I haven’t yet come to terms with myself. In my heart I don’t think he can help me, no one can and so I jump up, pulling him with me and say lightly, “Do you swim, Romeo?”

  I can tell he’s unhappy about leaving this conversation, but he pushes it aside and smiles. “Of course, can you?”

  “Of course.”

  I grin and lean in, whispering, “But I don’t have a bathing suit, does that bother you?”

  I don’t know where this girl has come fr
om because I have never been so flirty, so bold and so promiscuous, but only with him, which tells me how right he is for me. My body reacts to him differently to anyone I’ve ever met and I’m running to keep up.

  Shaking his head, he laughs softly. “Yes, you do. Several in fact, and if you think I’m letting my men stare at your naked body, you’re very much mistaken. Now, you can meet me in ten minutes on deck suitably dressed for the occasion, or you can wait while I change and I’ll escort you back to your cabin.”

  His hand moves to the waist of his shorts and I see the challenge in his eyes. He expects me to back out of the room quickly and the old Ivy would, but the new Ivy is daring and keen to experience the edge of life, so I grin and raise my eyes, “I’m good here thanks.”

  He smirks like the arrogant bastard he is and in one swift move removes his shorts, revealing nothing but a pair of Calvin’s highlighting a package that is definitely something I’ve never seen before. His legs are muscular and tanned, and I find myself staring rather than looking away.

  He says playfully, “Still waiting, Ivy?”

  Swallowing hard, I look up and our eyes meet and I nod, saying slightly huskily, “I am.”

  His hands move to his t-shirt and he rips it off and I almost gasp and take a step back. What the hell?

  It’s not the strong, ripped body rippling with muscles that grabs my attention and sends a wet heat straight to my core. It’s not the smattering of dark hair that proves a real man stands before me, and it’s not the fact I want to run my hands over a chiseled masterpiece. It’s the intricate tattoo weaving a trail around his heart up to his shoulder and down to his tantalizing V of a beautiful black trail of Ivy enhancing an image of perfection with a clear and simple message. I take a step forward and raise my hand, aching to touch it and see if it’s real. His voice is thick as he says darkly, “It’s always been you, Ivy. I got this to show the world that another has stolen my heart.”